modest crowd

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "modest crowd" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a gathering of people that is not large or overwhelming in size, often implying a sense of humility or simplicity. Example: "The concert attracted a modest crowd, but the atmosphere was warm and inviting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Music

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

A modest crowd of 8,000 is expected.

The New York Times - Sports

A modest crowd will watch the Colts lose to the Thunder tonight.

The New York Times

Normally, Yankee-Met encounters are spirited, but Monday's modest crowd seemed good-natured.

The New York Times - Sports

This meant an anti-climax, albeit for a very modest crowd in the stadium.

The Guardian - Sport

Mr. Schickele has a devoted following, though Friday night's performance drew only a modest crowd.

The New York Times - Arts

At each antiwar gathering, a handful of counterdemonstrators show up with flags and soon swell to a modest crowd.

The New York Times

Chin threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a modest crowd watching the Mets play the Atlanta Braves.

The New York Times - Sports

Javier's mother, Carmen, and sister who bears the same name, were among the modest crowd following the Spanish trio.

The Guardian - Sport

If Mr. Gingrich was feeling discouraged after Tuesday, he did not show it, and neither did the modest crowd at the first of his three rallies in Alabama.

The New York Times

Around us was a modest crowd of thirty or forty, with the dark winter clothes and the weather-beaten faces of hill and mountain people.

The New Yorker

When Mrs. Bachmann's blue campaign bus rolled into the parking lot of the Cass County Fairgrounds in Atlantic, Iowa, on Monday, a modest crowd was on hand.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing an event's attendance, use "modest crowd" to convey that the number of attendees was not large, but sufficient or acceptable given the circumstances.

Common error

Avoid assuming that a "modest crowd" necessarily reflects poorly on the event. It simply indicates the size of the attendance, not necessarily its quality or the event's success.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "modest crowd" functions as a noun phrase, where "modest" is an adjective modifying the noun "crowd". It describes the size or scale of a group of people. Ludwig AI shows examples of its use in various contexts, indicating a gathering that is not large or overwhelming.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Sport

22%

Music

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Science

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "modest crowd" is a commonly used and grammatically correct way to describe a gathering of people that is not large in size. As indicated by Ludwig AI, this phrase appears frequently in news and media, sports, and music contexts. It serves the function of objectively describing the size of an audience or gathering, without necessarily implying any positive or negative sentiment. Alternatives include "small gathering" or "intimate audience", each with slightly different connotations. When using the phrase, it's important to consider that it describes the quantity of people, not the quality of the event itself.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

small turnout

Specifically refers to the number of people who attended an event, often implying lower than expected numbers.

small gathering

Emphasizes the intimate size of the group, lacking the connotation of 'modest'.

humble audience

Stresses the simplicity and lack of pretension of the gathering.

limited number of people

Focuses on the restriction in size, rather than the perceived humbleness of the attendance.

relatively few attendees

More formal way of stating that not many people were present.

intimate audience

Highlights the closeness and personal nature of the group present.

sparse attendance

Highlights the lack of density in the gathering, suggesting more space than people.

understated gathering

Emphasizes the lack of fanfare or large numbers associated with the event.

compact assembly

Highlights that the group size is small and condensed

pocketful of people

Highlights the scarcity of people present and also their relevance compared to the available space

FAQs

How can I use "modest crowd" in a sentence?

You can use "modest crowd" to describe the attendance at an event, such as, "The speaker addressed a "modest crowd" at the local library."

What is a good alternative to "modest crowd"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "small gathering", "intimate audience", or "small turnout" instead of "modest crowd".

What does it mean when someone says "modest crowd"?

The term "modest crowd" indicates that there were not a large number of people present, suggesting a smaller, more intimate gathering.

Is "modest crowd" a positive or negative description?

It is generally neutral, but can sometimes imply a smaller than expected attendance. Its connotation depends on the context. It doesn't inherently suggest success or failure but describes only the number of attendees. To emphasize the positive side you can also say: "humble audience".